Today a plurality of different enclosures for lipsticks are known. Merely every form and color combination of enclosures is known. Thereby, also a plurality of different mechanisms are known, in order to move the lipstick, which is also often called lipstick mine, out of the enclosure and back into the enclosure.
Known lipstick enclosures are often two pieces that means they comprise two enclosure parts, as for example shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,558. Thereby one enclosure part comprises the lipstick itself, as well as a sleeve, which encloses the lipstick and a transport mechanism in order to move the lipstick out of the sleeve and back into the sleeve. The transport mechanism of known lipsticks is thereby mostly a rotation mechanism, wherein the sleeve is rotated against a base, such that a sensitive movement of the lipstick is possible. Thereby, the sleeve is normally hold between thumb and index finger of one hand of the user and the base is rotated by ease of the thumb and index finger of the other hand. The second enclosure part normally only serves as cap in order to protect the lipstick mine from dirt and desiccation. The known two-piece enclosures have the disadvantage that for utilizing the lipstick at first the cap has to be removed and subsequently has to be put aside, only then a use is possible. However, by the necessity of putting aside the cap when using such two-piece enclosures, they exhibit the disadvantage that the cap can easily be lost. However, without cap, the lipstick is not protected from dirt and desiccation, which makes the lipstick unusable. Further, a one-handed operation of such two-piece enclosures is not possible or only possible in a very user unfriendly way, since for the one-handed operation the sleeve has to be hold between thumb and index finger of one hand and the base has to be rotated by ease of the other fingers of the same hand in connection with the palm of the hand.
An enclosure for a one-handed operation of a lipstick is for example shown in US 2010/0054842 A2. The described enclosure comprises only one part at which a lid is arranged, whereby the lid closes an upper opening of the enclosure. Thereby, the lid is hold in position by a restoring force of a spring, thereby the lid is hold in a position to firmly close the upper opening of the enclosure. The lipstick can by means of a sliding mechanism be moved out of the enclosure and again back into the enclosure. The sliding mechanism comprises a sleeve in which the lipstick is arranged. When the lipstick is slid out of the enclosure by ease of the sliding mechanism, then the sleeve at first presses against the lid and opens the lid against the restoring force of the spring. Subsequently, by further sliding the sliding mechanism, the lipstick can at least partially be moved out of the enclosure and out of the sleeve, such that a user can use the lipstick. This arrangement can be used one handedly, however; it has the disadvantage that the movement of the lipstick is not very sensitive. In this arrangement at first the sleeve has to be moved out of the enclosure against the restoring force of the spring, therefore the user has to exert a relatively high force. For the subsequent movement of the lipstick, the user only needs a relatively low force. The transition from the relatively high expenditure of force to a low expenditure of force is only very difficult achievable for the user, such that there exists a risk that the lipstick always is extended to its full length. Further, such a sliding mechanism can only be practically used with a locking mechanism, which holds the extended lipstick in position. Otherwise, there is the risk when using the lipstick that by pressing the lipstick against the lips of the user, the lipstick is pressed back into the enclosure. Another possibility would only be that during use of the lipstick, the user itself holds the sliding mechanism in a particular position. However, this is very user unfriendly.
Therefore, there exist the need to provide an enclosure, in particular for a lipstick, which allows the user to use the lipstick with one hand, but which at the same time allows a sensitive and user friendly operation of a known enclosure with regards to the sensitive movement of the lipstick by means of rotation, without exhibiting the disadvantages of the prior art. This need is fulfilled by the enclosure according to independent claim 1.